- Upcoming Events
-
July 9, 2001 - 7:00 PM
- Clare-Gladwin Libertarian Party Meeting. Turn in signatures, get new petitions, get ready for the Fair, get ready for Freedom Banquet 2001 on October 20th.
- Location: Grant Township Hall, located 1 mile West of Jays Sporting Goods on Surrey Road.
- Contact: Ghazey Phone: (517) 386-2699 E-mail: aleckfamily@voyager.net
-
July 11, 2001 - 6:30 PM
- Libertarians of Macomb County monthly meeting. Drinks and dinner at 6:30 PM, business begins at 7:00 PM.
- Location: Miles World Resturant, 17689 Masonic, Fraser, MI 48026, 810-415-4500.
- Contact: Diane Barnes Phone: (810) 774-1625 E-mail: dbarnes98@aol.com
-
July 12, 2001 - 7:00 PM
- The Ballot Access Restoration Committee meets the second and fourth Thursday every month -- until we submit petition signatures to the Bureau of Elections to be certified to once again be able to run Libertarian candidates in partisan races. All LPM members are welcome to attend and help with both the planning and execution of our petition drive.
- Location: LPMHQ, 619 E. 9 Mile, Hazel Park (just east of I-75)
- Contact: Nancy O'Brien Phone: (313) 562-5778 E-mail: nobrien321@home.com
-
July 16, 2001 - 7:30 PM
- Meeting of the Andy LeCureaux for Hazel Park City Council Campaign.
- Location: LPM HQ, 619 East Nine Mile Rd., Hazel Park
- Contact: Dave Collver Phone: (248) 542-9274 E-mail: DCCollver@aol.com
-
July 17, 2001
- Libertarians of Allegan County.
- Location: No meeting this month, see you at the August meeting.
- Contact: Rick Dutkiewicz Phone: (616) 673-5503 E-mail: rdoogie@datawise.net
-
July 18, 2001
- Monthly meeting of the St. Clair County affiliate.
- Location: Figaro's is located at 1503 11th Street, Port Huron, MI 48060. TX: (810) 987-3588. Join us for dinner at 6:00 PM. Business begins at 7:00 PM.
- Contact: Richard Friend Phone: (810) 982-7178 E-mail: rfriend@advnet.net
-
July 21, 2001 - 7:00 PM
- The Van Buren County chapter would like to invite everyone to their monthly meeting. Dinner will be available at 6:30.
- Location: CT's restaurant, South Haven on the corner of M-43 and Blue Star Highway
- Contact: Bill Bradley Phone: (616) 637-4525
-
July 26, 2001 - 7:00 PM
- The Ballot Access Restoration Committee meets the second and fourth Thursday every month -- until we submit petition signatures to the Bureau of Elections to be certified to once again be able to run Libertarian candidates in partisan races. All LPM members are welcome to attend and help with both the planning and execution of our petition drive.
- Location: LPMHQ, 619 E. 9 Mile, Hazel Park (just east of I-75)
- Contact: Nancy O'Brien Phone: (313) 562-5778 E-mail: nobrien321@home.com
-
August 6, 2001 - 7:30 PM
- Meeting of the Andy LeCureaux for Hazel Park City Council Campaign.
- Location: LPM HQ, 619 East Nine Mile Rd., Hazel Park
- Contact: Dave Collver Phone: (248) 542-9274 E-mail: DCCollver@aol.com
-
August 8, 2001 - 6:30 PM
- Libertarians of Macomb County monthly meeting. Drinks and dinner at 6:30 PM, business begins at 7:00 PM.
- Location: Miles World Resturant, 17689 Masonic, Fraser, MI 48026, 810-415-4500.
- Contact: Diane Barnes Phone: (810) 774-1625 E-mail: dbarnes98@aol.com
- More
- For more events, see the online calendar at:
- http://www.michiganlp.org/lpmonline/events.php
- Libertarian Outreach
by Leonard Schwartz
What's the most efficient way to encourage people to
vote Libertarian and join the Libertarian Party? What issues
should we emphasize? How should we present those issues?
Should we use leaflets, newspaper ads, magazine ads, radio
ads, or TV ads? Where should we place those leaflets and
ads?
Some persons complain about their national, state, or
local Libertarian Party outreach methods.
My suggestion: Instead of complaining, use one of these
options:
(1) Give money to independent organizations that are
doing Libertarian outreach the way you want.
(2) Make an offer to your national, state, or local
Libertarian Party to pay for a special outreach project that
you designed.
(3) Do your own Libertarian outreach. Produce your own
leaflets and ads. Place them wherever you want.
If you do your own outreach, you sometimes must
register as a political committee. Here are the rules
according to Michigan's campaign finance law:
If two or more individuals (acting collectively) spend
more than $500 a year encouraging voters to vote for or
against any specific candidate or ballot issue, the group
must register with the Bureau of Elections.
If a group spends less than $500 a year on such
activities, it need not register. As long as the outreach
material is not for or against specific candidates, a group
can spend as much as it wants encouraging persons to vote
straight Libertarian.
If only one individual pays for the outreach material,
that person need not register, even if the person spends
more than $500 a year encouraging voters to vote for or
against specific candidates or ballot issues.
Leonard Schwartz, LPM campaign finance law adviser
Back to Contents
- Newsletter Contributions Invited
by Greg Dirasian
All LPM members are encouraged to send articles for
publication in the newsletter. Articles should be emailed
to newsletter@michiganlp.org and may be submitted in plain text,
Word97, RTF, Works for Windows 4.0, or WordPerfect (6.x)
format. (Other formats, please ask in advance).
Also, please email photos. Especially appreciated are
photos of candidates, events held by affiliates (such as an
OPH booth), or other relevant photos.
This month, I am especially interested in petitioning
anecdotes and photos of people petitioning.
This is an exciting time in the LPM. I know that there
are many people and affiliates doing all kinds of exciting
activities. Please share your news!!!
Back to Contents
- Clawson Independence Day Parade
by Greg Dirasian
The Libertarian Party of Oakland Count is pleased to
announce that its parade float is ready!
Please join us at 8:00AM Wednesday morning July 4, 2001
in the parade staging area where we will put the finishing
touches on the float.
We will also need help passing out literature along the
parade route. This is an excellent opportunity to collect
signatures for our ballot access petitions.
Parades are fun and we are always well-received in
Clawson. Don't miss this opportunity!
The staging area is behind the shopping strip on the
south side of 14 Mile Rd just east of Crooks Rd. in Clawson.
(There is a Frank's Nursery in the shopping strip also).
View the parade float at:
http://www.lpocmi.org/Parade/
Back to Contents
- BARC Update
by Nancy O'Brien
Let’s start with the good news. Congratulations to our
top ten signature gatherers to date! The are:
AL TITRAN 451
BENJAMIN F STEELE III 383
RICHARD JOZWIAK 228
BENJAMIN F STEELE JR 160
TRAFTON JEAN 160
VIOLET STEELE 144
DAVID COLLVER 113
LLOYD SHERMAN 104
CONSTANCE J CATALFIO 103
WILLIAM T WHITE 101
We would like to extend a laurel, and hardy handshake to all
;-)
Remember – we don’t count them until you send them in to us.
If you have completed petitions, please send them in so we
can check the signatures and log them.
To date we have collected 6,571 signatures. That sounds
like a huge number. Until you consider that by June 23 we
should have collected 17,000 signatures to reach our goal
for phase I of the campaign.
We expect to do significantly better with our volunteers in
phase II due to the many, great petitioning opportunities in
the next two months, e.g. the Ann Arbor Art Fair, the
Woodward Dream Cruise, and the Ypsilanti Heritage Festival,
and numerous Fourth of July celebrations, just to name of
few. Nevertheless, we must make up for our phase I
shortfall. In order to do that, we will be contracting with
paid petitioners for 10,000 signatures.
Are you interested in becoming a paid petitioner for the
LPM?
We would like to extend this opportunity to our members
before seeking help from strangers. If you are a party
member and are willing to commit to collecting 2,000 by
September 1, 2001, please submit a bid as to how much you
would charge per signature collected. You will be required
to sign a contract and submit signatures on a weekly basis
so we can keep track of your progress. We will contract
with the five lowest bidders for 2,000 signatures each.
However, preference will be given to those with a proven
track record for reliably completing party projects. Note:
signatures collected for pay will not count towards prizes
and incentives.
You will need to submit at least 250 signatures per weeks
toward your 2,000 signature commitment. While all
signatures will be compensated at the agreed upon price,
failure of any petitioner to achieve their weekly quota will
result in their being replaced by the next highest bidder in
line. Bids will be sealed subject to review by the state
party chair. In other words, your rate of pay will not be
affected by the pay rate of other petitioners. 75 cents per
signature is the highest bid that will be considered. If
you bid too high, the market may beat you out. If you bid
low, you may be working for less than another petitioner
(though I suspect not much less).
Remember, you are doing this for the party. We will be
making the most frugal and wise use of our dollars possible.
If you are interested in being considered, please email me
at nobrien321@home.com, or call me at (313) 562-5778 by
Friday, July 6. The clock is ticking; we have to move on
this.
If you know a party member who may be interested and who
does not receive the on-line newsletter, please let him or
her know about this opportunity.
Back to Contents
- Your “Fair Share”
by Nancy O'Brien
Are you someone who has run for office in the past
eight years? If so, the reason you were able to run on the
Libertarian Party ticket is because in 1993, dedicated
Libertarian volunteers gave weeks of their time and
thousands of dollars of their money to the petition drive to
regain our ballot access. It was a tough job. Especially
since back then the party had less than 300 members -- as
opposed to the more than 1,800 members and contributors we
have today. Should we ask any less of ourselves than they
were willing to give?
Early this year, Ben Bachrach requested that individual
party members let us know how many signatures they would
commit to gathering for the ballot drive. The BARC
Committee made decisions about priorities for BARC resources
based on those commitments.
Unfortunately, it now appears that BARC plans will have to
be revised due to the fact that promised volunteer support
has simply not materialized.
Fortunately, there is still time left for those of you who
have gotten off to a slow start to help put us back on
track.
Can’t remember what you said you would do? Following is a
list of members and their signature pledges:
Aleck Ghazey 500
Allen Scott W 200
Anderson James 100
Ask Richard M 100
Bachrach Benjamin 100
Barnes Diane 3
Barnett Todd 500
Barrette Judith 25
Beck Timothy 100
Bergman Dorothy 25
Bibbee Richard 200
Blackbird Beth Joy 2
Bloom Jerry E 25
Boleyn Maggie 50
Bora Theresa 25
Bouwman Roger 100
Bradley William H. 50
Brinkman Mike 50
Broda Robert 200
Buck David 50
Burke George Russell 5
Byrne Katherine 25
Byrne Mark 25
Carney Mark 100
Carson Michael 100
Catalfio Constance 50
Caulkins Robert 25
Collins Fred 400
Combs Todd 150
Corliss Michael 100
Daniels Paul 25
Davis Cea 50
Dickson Michael 100
Dirasian Greg 200
Donahue Michael 100
Douglas Troy 200
Dutkiewicz Krystal 50
Dutkiewicz Rick 50
Edge David 25
Fitzpatrick Jim 200
Fitzpatrick Lynn 100
Freedman RM 50
Gelineau Bill 200
Gillman Jason 300
Gitler Scott M.25
Gnadt Loel 50
Goushaw Barbara B. 400
Hall Mickey 200
Hall William W. 1000
Heil Mark F 1
Hitch Paul 25
Hudler James L. 150
Jean Trafton 50
Johnson Frank W. 500
Jones Thomas 0
Jozwiak Matt 1
Jozwiak Richard E 50
Karpinski Edward W. 100
Kastner James 25
Kleeves Jack 500
Kluesner Brian A 500
Kugel Richard 25
Kwiatkowski Walter 50
Langhaan Kim 500
Larsen Elisabeth 5
Lendzion Donna 100
Leone Tom 5
Madigan Brent 25
Marolf Sarah 100
Masten Laverne W 25
McGough Tim 50
Merritt Lowell 500
Miller James 100
Miller Michael 100
Mitchell Mitch 25
Montgomery James F. 100
Morey Timothy C 25
Morisi Wendy 25
Nagy David 50
Nazzaro Mona 25
Newman James A 25
Niederer Bruce 50
O'Brien Nancy 100
O'Brien Timothy 100
Ottenwess Ron 50
Parker James B. 200
Pauli Heather R 10
Pratt Chris 25
Purdy Lawrence 25
Radcliffe David 10
Radtke Chris 100
Razdolsky Vladimir 25
Sawyer Knowlton Timothy 50
Schmitz Darryl J 25
Schubring Robert 25
Schwartz Leonard C. 25
Secula Rick 50
Sherman Lloyd 500
Shotey William J. 25
Sjoberg Sara 250
Smith Curtis W 25
Smith Jeffrey S 25
Smith Larry J 50
Stahl Erin 200
Steele Ben 500
Steele Benjamin 50
Stempien Brian 25
Strebel William 200
Stuart Paul 25
Sutton Steven 25
Swarthout Chester 5
Titran Albert J 200
Toms John P 25
Toporek Ken 30
Townsend Stephen 400
VanCamp Clarence 25
VanOast Robert 100
VanOast Stacy 100
Vierling Lou 25
Vozenilek Barbara A. 100
Wassick Gregory 25
Wejrandt David 100
Westra Jim 25
Whitt Glenn 50
Wierman Laurie 50
Wierman Ted 50
Willis Gregory 500
Wrenbeck Andy 25
Yope Craig Aaron 100
Young Rodger 25
Back to Contents
- CCW Training
by Tim O'Brien
Now that the new "Shall Issue" law has gone into
effect, there are undoubtedly more than a few LPM members
who want to get a concealed carry permit (CCW).
One of the legal requirements is to obtain an eight hour
training course (including three hours of range time) from a
certified instructor.
Long time LP ally and Brass Roots executive director Mike
Hoban is a qualifed intructor who offers this course -- and
will provide recognized certification to submit along with
your CCW application upon successful completion.
I am hoping to organize enough LPM members to fill one
entire class and qualify for a group discount. The class
would be a one day, eight hour intensive.
I do not know exactly what day (though it would be a
Saturday or Sunday yet this month), where it will be held
(though sites in either Lapeer or Shiawasee county are
currently looking most likely). The rate will depend on the
size of the group (but will probably be around $125).
Please send me an e-mail indicating your interest and I will
get back to you as details firm up.
Back to Contents
- Affiliate Contest Underway!
by Ben Steele III
Seven LPM Affiliates submitted goals for the 2001
Affiliates Contest by the July 1 deadline. Those Affiliates
and their goals are:
Libertarians of Allegan County (four goals):
1. To collect more than "their share" of signatures for
the ballot drive (at 31 signatures per member); meaning they
will collect more than 600 signatures. 2. To increase LP
membership in Allegan County by 50%; bringing them to at
least 30 members. 3. To go out and meet each Allegan County
LP member and donor, current or lapsed, face to face, at
their homes; that is a total of 34 people they will have to
visit. 4. To defeat the Kalamazoo Valley Community College
annexation by opposing the county-wide election if it comes
up, or by convincing the Allegan County Commissioners that
opposition is so strong and organized against the plan, that
it would be a waste of money to bring it to the voters.
The Clare-Gladwin Libertarian Party:
To participate in five specific events: a St. Patrick's
Day Parade, 4th of July Parades in Clare and Harrison,
manning a fair booth, and hosting "Freedom Banquet 2001."
The Libertarian Party of Lapeer/Genesee Counties:
To have no less than 25 people in Lapeer and Genesee
Counties circulating petitions for the ballot drive.
The Libertarian Party of Ottawa County (three goals):
1. To collect 1,000 signatures for the ballot drive. 2.
To double their average meeting attendance. 3. To do a "Tax
Rebate" fundraising mailing.
The Libertarian Party of Shiawassee County:
To collect 5,000 signatures for the ballot drive.
The Libertarian Party of Wayne County:
To host a successful 2001 Liberty Fest Awards Banquet
("success" defined as getting more than 100 people to
attend).
The Libertarian Party of West Michigan:
To grow their membership by twice the rate they did in
2000.
Wow! I certainly hope that each of these Affiliates
meets its goal, as we will all win if they do! Each
Affiliate which does meet its goal by April 15, 2002, will
be entered into a drawing to win a $150 certificate from the
Advocates for Self-Government, which can be used for further
outreach and improvement.
Watch this newsletter for updates on the progress of
each Affiliate toward meeting its goal.
Good luck, everyone!
Back to Contents